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The quest for distance
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All of the top PGA pros employ a swing coach, including Tiger Woods. |
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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
There is not one golfer I know who would not like to hit the ball farther. If you happen to be that one, then read no farther. Even guys who hit the ball a mile and come for help to hit it straighter, would honestly like to drive the ball straighter and farther.
So let's breakdown what elements of the game need to be addressed for YOU to hit the ball farther. These are all practical applications and you can improve in each of these areas.
1: Distance is controlled by club head speed correctly applied. This paragraph is for players with high clubhead speed, 100 mph or more. Tiger and Rory have 120 mph, so dream on about that. If you have oodles of speed, usually players with a background of baseball hitting, hockey scorers, squash/racketball players; you don't necessarily hit the ball far if your impact is wrong. 100-mph club head speed applied with the face open and angle of attack steep at impact produces weak 200-yard slices.
If you are a slicer of the ball, get help to square the face at impact. Check your grip first, both V's pointing toward your rear shoulder, with a light grip pressure. From the top of the swing, start down with your arms and legs before your shoulders. This will reduce the 'over the top' move that produces a steep outside-in impact resulting in the ball being hit at a glancing blow.
If you sky the ball or hit it too high with lots of spin, that reduces the distance. Your angle of attack is too steep, so you need help to flatten your swing plane, and deliver the club head level into the back of the ball.
2: Needing to generate more club head speed. A lot of you (and I am included) fit into this category. So how can we increase our club head speed? We will break this into two areas:
A: Addressing the two power sources. The first is strength and flexibility. Most articles are going to stress 'use the big muscles' to hit the ball farther. I agree with this but what are the 'big muscles'? They are not your biceps, chest and shoulders. Most men have enough upper body strength, but the core muscles, abdominal, back, glutes and legs are the big muscles you need to strengthen. I came from a Tommy Armour/Henry Cotton/John Jacobs upbringing, three old pro's who won major championships, who believed in ''swing your arms and hit the heck out of it with your hands' theory. As a young pro I beat a club into a car tire, a primitive ' smash bag', for hours on end and gained hand/arm strength. This did help a little guy gain some club head speed, but not enough! What I didn't realize at the time was that I should have spent equal time on running,squats, sit-ups to strengthen the big core muscles.
My point? If you want to increase your club head speed you need to train both sets of muscles. Hand and arm. Smash the bag. Hit balls with your feet together. But also strengthen your core. Every tour player now sees the value of physical conditioning. Tiger and Annika raised the bar. Rory put on 20 pounds muscle mass in the last year. All the PGA and LPGA tour players are physically strong and flexible.
Add yoga and Pilates for strengthening and increasing your flexibility. All my tour players do this. All of them. Even if your built like Charles Atlas but can't generate enough speed, flexibility may be your problem. I also ask you to consider the golf related training of TPI. Titleist Performance Institute have developed an assessment and physical training program to balance and build your strength and flexibility. I personally went through it this fall and am in the strengthening phase, and am seeing the benefits. My personal trainer, Bart Knight, based at the Golden Door Spa here at the Boulders, is really helping my game. He has a background of golf, understands the swing, but is certified in TPI and personal physical training. Seek out someone similar, and it will help your golf conditioning. When you come to see me in Scottsdale, take a session with Bart too.
B: The second power source is: Now that you are big, strong and flexible you need an efficient golf swing. I'm the teaching pro and I know you need help. Ego's get in the way and stop many golfers for reaching their potential by refusing to take lessons. Let me ask you a question. Do Rory, Tiger and Luke have coaches they refer to? Yes. Then why don't you go find a good coach. Get a good diagnosis, find out what you need to work on, and revisit once a month. That won't break the bank, you'll improve your technique, and hit the ball farther.
The two power engines in the swing are; core rotation, and hand/arm swinging allowing the wrists to cock and uncock, adding leverage into the swing.
In very brief terms: the upper body, not just your shoulders, rotates around your spine while your legs hold you in a stable position in the backswing. In the downswing the sequence is reversed. The lower body explodes and unwinds as the upper body trails. This is called separation between your upper and lower body. TPI has some good drills to learn this.
The hands and arms swing the club up and your wrists act as a hinge. In the downswing your arms swing down and the wrists UNCOCK, unleashing the club head freely and at maximum speed through impact. This club head acceleration must be in coordination with the body rotation.
If you work on these areas: swing technique coupled with improved strength and flexibility, you will generate more club head speed, correctly apply it to the ball at impact, and watch the ball soar, fly, carry and roll to greater distance.
Find the coach and hit the gym. Enjoy the longer drives.
Recently voted Top-10 in Best Teachers in State of Arizona by Golf Digest. Also, contributing Golf Writer and Director of Instruction for The Boulders Club Voted as a TOP 100 Teacher in Golf Magazine, and Director of Instruction at the Boulders Golf Academy, Carefree, AZ.
When Scottsdale beckons and golf awaits, a call to Donald Crawley at The Boulders is a must.
Donald Crawley, Director of Instruction at the Boulders Golf Academy at the Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa in Carefree, Ariz. Crawley, a veteran of 35 years of teaching experience, is the newest contributor to The Sports Network with regular features that range from tips on improving your game to etiquette at the course. He has established 40 golf school sites in the United States since 1980,previously as vice president and director of instruction at John Jacobs' Golf Schools.
Crawley is recognized among the "Top 100 Teachers in America" by Golf Magazine and one of the "Best Teachers in Arizona" by Golf Digest. As both a Class A U.S. PGA member and a British PGA member, Crawley has been recognized for his outstanding teaching abilities. In 2002 & 2005, he won the Southwest Section PGA's Teacher of the Year Award. He also received the Horton Smith Award for education in 2000. In addition to teaching over 60,000 students, Crawley has co-authored video instruction tapes with John Jacobs and BBC/ABC golf telecaster Peter Alliss.
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